‘Be careful what you wish for’: Ursula warns Leavenworth residents as they complain of sky-high tourism

Leavenworth has seen a massive influx of tourism as of late, so much so that residents of the town have said that the city’s success is coming at their expense.

There are now more than three million people who travel to Leavenworth each year, and residents have complained that tourists are overwhelming the local infrastructure, including traffic and housing affordability, and making the city no longer feel like their own.

Ursula cautions residents to remember the town’s leaner days

Ursula Reutin, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, warned Leavenworth’s residents about where they were in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the city was struggling, compared to now, where a city propped up by its tourism is flourishing.

“Regarding Leavenworth, and yes, you can love a place too much,” Ursula said. “But I also remember during the pandemic they were begging for customers; they were begging. What happens when the tourists go away? Be careful what you wish for, because so much of their livelihood is based on tourism. We go every year, and it is a favorite. I think they do a great job of making the town very tourist-friendly.”

Co-host Gee Scott put into perspective some of the concerns Leavenworth’s residents may have, such as an incredibly popular hotel with demand that stretches far into the future and comes at a high cost.

“This is one of those things that you don’t think about until it’s really too late,” Gee said. “Let’s take Leavenworth, and people always tell me, Ursula, you being people, ‘you have to go to the Post Hotel in Leavenworth,’ how cheap is the Post Hotel?”

“Very expensive, even more so now,” Ursula responded.

“How easy is it to get reservations at the Post Hotel?” Gee asked.

“You have to do it a year in advance,” Ursula said.

Conversation turns to another tourism magnet: Lake Chelan

KIRO producer Andrew Lanier analyzed why Lake Chelan is such a popular tourist attraction, largely due to its stark contrast from city life.

“People like the wild outdoors environment, the cabin-style destination,” Andrew said. “There’s nowhere really on the west side of the state, at least around the Puget Sound area, where you can go stay on a lake, and you are surrounded by mountains, and not traffic. You have this beautiful natural environment that you’re in that’s not a city.”

“When I go out to Chelan, for me, I love how much it slows me down,” Gee responded. “You do feel like you’re on vacation. It’s really cool, especially a little downtown area. You don’t have to dress up and all that kind of stuff.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.